James jenkotson



J. JENKINSON.

BAYONET.

T m H e W Wz'fzieisses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES JENKINSON, OF BROOKLYN, 'NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT lN SLIDING BAYONETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,760, dated July 1, 1862.

T0 all whom 212? may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES JENKINsoN, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Attaching and Operating Bayonets;

transverse section of the same at y Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same at z 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the spring-catch on a larger scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate 'corresponding 'parts in the several figures.

.The object of my invention is aslidihg bayonet so constructed and applied as to admit of being readily advanced in theact oflowering the piece to charge bayonets, and readily retracted in the act of the restoring the piece to shoulder arms 2 or other vertical position.

The invention particularly consists in a certain combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, whereby the bayonet is firmly held-in its advanced position, and readily advanced and retracted in the acts of lowering and elevating, as before stated.

- A represents the stock, and B the barrel, of the musket.

O is a longitudinal cavity beneath the barrel, in which cavity the sliding bayonet is ensheathed when retracted.

- D is the sliding bayonet having a crescent form in its transverse section to admit it to fit beneath the barrel.

E is a shank extending backward from the base of the bayonet and terminating in a handle, F, projecting from it at right angles through a slot in the stock, which slot is of sufiicient length to afford the requisite play to the handle in sliding the bayonet, as hereinafter explained.

G is a,catch provided with a spring, H, by which it is forced into an oblique hole, 6, in the bayonet-shank, and a projecting stud, I, by which it is retracted to permit the bayonet to be withdrawn.

The advanced position of the bayonet is indicated in Fig. 1 by full black lines, the retracted position in red; In the latter position the handle F is just above where the soldier grasps the piece with his left hand when about to lower forefinger of the left hand around the handle,

pressing in the stud I, 'so as to withdraw the catch, and thus by a single action the bayonet may be retracted; as the gun is raised to a verticalrposition. By this improvement all the loss of time in firing and returning bayonets is avoided. The soldier may be using his piece without the bayonet, and,being suddenly required to come to a charge,he is ready in an instant with bayonet fixed by simply" lowering his piece.

I am aware that sliding bayonets adapted to withdrawn into a sheath within the stock have long been in use, and do not therefore desire to be understood as claiming this invention, broadly; but I am -aware of no previous instance in which the means for operating and securing a sliding. bayonet have been constructed and arranged in the manner hereinbefore explained, so as to admit of readily advancing and withdrawing the bayonet in the acts of lowering and elevating the piece.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the cavity 0, sliding bayonet D, shank E, handle F, spring-catch G H I, and hole 6, all constructed, arranged, and emp'loyedinthe manner and for the purposes herein shown and explained.

JAMES J ENKIN SON.

Witnesses:

OGTAVIUS KNIGHT, JAMEs H. GRIDLEY. 

